that's what friends are for
by a cold day in december
Summary: Three times Austin and Ally get mistaken for a couple, but it's not until the fourth time Austin actually wants it to be true. Based around the full version of not a love song. Auslly oneshot.


**Disclaimer: **The characters you recognize here are not mine, never have been, and never will be. I make no profit from this and I'll put them back where I found them when I'm done, promise. :-)

**Warnings:** None really? Not too graphic, as usual. I was gonna put some stronger language in for realistic purposes, but I didn't need it in the end. Is _dammit_ a swear word? I don't think so. _What the hell?_ Eh. Oh well, T anyways.

**Summary: **Three times Austin and Ally get mistaken for a couple, but it's not until the fourth time Austin actually wants it to be true. Based around the full version of not a love song. Auslly oneshot.

**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! This is again not on my WIP list, but oh well. I get an idea and I have to write it down so. I heard the full version of not a love song and BAM, you got this. Enjoy! **I know I've done a story based around not a love song before, but this one is different, promise!** **Also,** Yay for Phineas and Ferb references and hints of Trez!

**Important Notice:** I have exams coming up for the next two weeks, they're not major-major, but they're important to me, so if I take some time off of writing, then I'm really sorry.

**Word Count: **3,183.

**Please excuse any spelling errors. Thanks.**

* * *

**that's what friends are for**

_(even if they're supposed to be more than friends)_

* * *

:::

_1._

_(catch a wave if we're bored)_

"Austin, you know I hate the beach!" Ally sighed and slumped against the counter of Sonic Boom. Her dad had gone to another convention for the week. As if by some miracle, he had said that for today, she could close up the shop and go out. She really didn't expect it, but it was a welcome surprise nonetheless.

And that's how she ended up here.

"Please Ally! For me?" He gives a half pout and she can sort-of feel her insides melting but attempts to ignore it.

He's always been able to do this to her and she hates it.

"I'll just end up embarrassing myself _again_ and feeling worse when I come back than before I went out. I never have a good time and I don't want to waste the only day off I'm probably ever going to get!" Ally puts her head in her hand and sighs because he always makes it difficult for her.

"Dez and Trish don't have to come?" He offers and adds: "I know you don't want to humiliate yourself, so it could just be me and you...? If you can't be yourself in front of me, then who can you be yourself in front of?" She smiles reluctantly at that, because it's true.

"Hey!" Austin shouts suddenly when she hasn't said anything. "How about I teach you to surfboard?" Her head snaps up, eyes wide and fearful.

"If I say yes to going to the beach can we _please_ do _anything but that_?" Her questioning pleas fall on deaf ears however, as Austin grins widely and starts to pull at her arm. "Austin no! Please!"

"Yes Ally." He says gently. "I've made up my mind and this is what we're doing, just you and me, kid." He looks down at her fondly and she can't help but smile. "This is going to be so much fun!" She smiles at his child like excitement and he lets go of her arm, hugging her instead.

She relaxes against him as he's warm and familiar and _(even though she might never tell him)_ a very good hugger. Resting his head on her hair he breathes deeply and then —_reluctantly_— lets go of her.

"Ally?" He says and she looks up at him, as a lopsided smile begins to form on his face. "Race you to your house!" And with that he sprints off madly, his laughter echoing back to her ears.

She sighs but smiles fondly despite herself. "_Boys._" She says to herself, but sprints after him anyway, wondering if the bus might beat him to her house.

:::

"I can't believe you're actually doing it, Ally. And I can't believe you've never boarded before, we do live in Miami." Austin says. He's surprised but extremely happy anyway. They're only in the water waist deep and he bobs beside the surfboard as Ally stands on it triumphantly. It had obviously taken her a few tries at first, but once she got on; _wow_ she was a natural.

"_Finally,_" She laughed, "something I'm good at!" Her smile is contagious but something is still swelling in Austin's chest, he thinks it might be pride.

"Oh shut up Ally." He says fondly, "You're good at lots of things." She smiles down at him happily and then gets off the surfboard so he can get on instead.

"You go, I'll wait here." He shakes his head.

"Nah-ah, I want to see _you _surfboard, little miss natural talent." Her cheeks are starting to hurt from all this grinning, but she doesn't mind. Austin helps her back onto the board and she admires his shirtless chest, not denying it feels good to be close to him.

It feels good to be _with _him.

Her feelings are a bit jumbled but she knows she has some _feelings_ towards him, but she's been dealing with that for a while now so it's okay. She swims out and surfs and he watches, smiling the whole time watching his bestfriend actually have a good time at the beach for once.

When she returns to him, they get out of the water and he lays the board on the ground. Ally turns and hugs him tightly, saying, "Thank you for teaching me to surf, it was actually really fun!" He nods and smiles and hugs back tightly.

"Hey, miss?" A stranger asks Ally. She lets go of the embrace and turns to face a boy, only a few years older than them. "You're really good at surfing you know. If you ever wanted to take it up professionally, then you should definitely think about it." Ally stares at him, shocked, and thanks him, just as he turns to walk away. He gives a smile and then he's gone.

Austin and Ally look at each other, and then laugh happily. Austin picks her up and spins her in a circle, telling her _he knew she was good_. Just as he puts her down the boy returns, looking a little sheepish.

"I just wanted to say, dude," He says, talking to Austin now, "I think it was awesome of you that you taught your girlfriend how to board." And with that, he's gone again.

Ally turns to look at Austin, a little confused but she's smiling and he just shrugs. He looks at the way her hair is already drying and softly curling. It looks _so pretty_ and he just wants to touch it. He feels his arm reaching out a little and he snaps out of his daydreams.

"Hey, you never know, we might make a pretty good couple."

* * *

:::

_2._

_(and I will hold your bags, when you go shopping)_

"Ah I love shopping!" Trish grins as she carries five, heavily loaded, bags on each arm.

"Well that's the first I've heard of it." Ally says sarcastically and smiles. "I guess we should head back to the shop and dump this stuff, yeah?" Trish nods enthusiastically.

"Then we could order out for pizza. I still have my discount from when I worked at _The Leaning Tower of Pizza._ I actually kinda miss that job you know." Trish comments thoughtfully.

"Well, that _is _a first. Never heard that one before. How long did you have it for?"

"Three hours." Ally just groans at her friends' antics and they continue to walk.

Someone puts their hands firmly on Ally shoulders and spins her around. She's ready to yell when she realises it's Austin, so it's allowed. Sort-of. "Hey Austin."

"What's up?" He says casually as Dez stumbles out from behind him and waves.

"Hi everyone!" He look as if he's speaking to a crowd, but they've all learnt to just leave him to it by now.

"What-cha doin'?" Austin says (_Isabella style.) _Ally looks down at the two shopping bags on each arm and looks back up again at Austin, her face covered with a hint of disbelief.

"Me and Trish have been shopping." She says anyway and Austin smiles.

They start to walk again, but Austin stops Ally and takes her bags off of her. She looks at him and he just shrugs and smiles, only saying, "I want to carry them for you." Ally grins happily and walks ahead, Austin hot on her heels.

"Aw!" Dez says in the background, actually meaning it towards them this time. Trish smiles and agrees, before she remembers she _doesn't like Dez_. Then she glares at him and he just says "_What now?" _

"You should carry my bags, like him," She says pointing to Austin holding Ally's bags. "Doofus." She adds on for good measure. He takes her bags obediently, and they walk behind Austin and Ally.

"Austin?" Ally says and he looks at her. "Thanks for, you know, carrying my bags and stuff. It's really nice of you."

"What are best friends for right?" He says back and she grins.

They stroll into Sonic Boom to see Ally's dad working the counter, _(for once). _"Where do you want these?" Austin asks her.

"Could you put them in the practice room please?" She asks sweetly as he nods. Dez and Trish bid their goodbye's, as Trish demands Dez carry her bags _all _the way home. _But they're heavy!_ Is all they hear and then the couple are out of an earshot.

"So Austin carried your bags for you, huh?" Lester says with a knowing smile and Ally groans.

"Dad, for the last time, he is not my boyfriend. _Best_friend — _Boy_friend, _Best_friend — _Boy_friend." Ally says slowly, as if talking to a young child. "You see, they sound different."

"Yeah well," Lester's dad says as himself and Austin walk past each other on the stairs, "That line separating the two gets a bit blurry after a while, doesn't it son?" And with a nudge to Austin and a wink to both, he disappears into his office.

"Did he just say—?"

"He thinks we're together." Ally states bluntly, fighting the blush wanting to rise to her cheeks.

"Oh. Well. That's cool." Austin says nonchalantly and picks up a guitar, strumming it. Ally looses herself in his melody, rather than questioning why he doesn't keep furiously protesting every time someone says they'd make a good couple.

* * *

:::

_3._

_(__if you got a broken heart, you can punch me in the arm: now that's what you needed)_

"He is such a— a— I can't even say it!" Ally growls to herself as she paces around her private music room. It's half Austin's as well, but it's her shop and it was hers first and she's _annoyed _so.

"I hate him, I hate him, _I hate him! Dammit_!"

"I hope you're not talking about me." The voice says and she whirls around, her skirt spinning, hair flying and radiating anger. She sees him casually leaning against the door frame like he always is and it just makes her smile involuntarily.

"No not you." She says, but she doesn't say anything else and he knows he's going to have to ask.

"Whose upset you Ally?" He wraps _her _arms around _his_ waist, and then rests one hand on her shoulder. The other hand rests under her chin and makes her look up at him. He can see the tears starting to well up and it makes him sad too.

He read somewhere that your facial expressions tend to mirror the person you're with, but he's pretty sure Ally's heartbreaking look would make anyone want to well up.

"It's nothing." Her voice is a bit hoarse and thick with emotion but he's determined to find out. "I'm just angry right now. _Not upset._"

"Als." His tone is firm. She just shakes her head and blinks to clear her tears. He tries a different approach. "Okay, well punch my arm, let it out."

"What?"

"Go on. Let out your anger." She's so angry that she does without really thinking about it. Hard. He doesn't react but she's apologising then, and it's set her off and everything starts spilling out.

The tears fall and Austin curses silently under his breath.

"I'm sorry I hit you! It's just— you said to a-and—"

"Shh, Ally, it's fine, just tell me all about it."

"It was Dallas, he said some things, it just upset me a little, it wasn't important." The tears streaming silently down her face contradicted that statement.

"What did he say?"

"I don't think he meant to he just—"

"Ally, what did he say?" _Warning tone._

"He just started talking about how my parents hadn't raised me properly because I was too loud in the library or something. He said _did your mother not teach you any manners _and _she was probably a useless idiot _and I was hyperventilating and crying, because well she's not here is she!" She gasped for breath now too, "And he just started yelling at me and he was horrible."

Austin doesn't ask about her mum.

Ally had her face buried in Austin's shirt. He held her tighter and swayed them slightly, soothing her. After a while she stopped crying and calmed down enough to look up at him once more and offer a watery smile.

"You feel better now?" He asks and she nods. "Good. I mean you beat me up and then ruined my shirt, you should." He smirks and gets a swat on the arm for the comment, but she's smiling.

"Right, c'mon, it's ice cream time." Ally has no time to argue as he takes her hand and drags her out of the door. Her dads downstairs at the counter anyway so it doesn't matter.

They walk along, and she's smiling and he feels better already, because ultimately; a sad Ally is a sad Austin.

The whole time, neither ones lets their hands drop, because it feels nice and safe and hey, they can do whatever they want right?

They stop outside the ice cream shop, you can't actually go in, the store front is just an open counter where you order and then leave. Austin pays for their ice cream and they're still holding hands, smiling all the while.

They just stand and talk, eating their ice creams. Loving gazes pass between them even though neither really registers it. There's a bench opposite them, and occupying it are an old couple. Austin and Ally are close enough to hear them, and hear them they do.

"Look at that couple there, Ben. Don't they remind you of us when we were that young?" Ally's blushing discreetly but there's more yet. "The way they hold hands, stand next to each other so intimately. Ben, _Ben _have you seen the way he looks at her? So much _love._"

The heat in Austin's cheeks is more pronounced than Ally's and she's giggling. "Oh go on, get a laugh out of it." He says.

"No, it's just lots of people seem to think we'd make a good couple right?"

"Yeah I guess. Maybe we would." She shrugs and he shrugs and they just smile, not saying any more.

* * *

:::

_4._

_(hey girl I can tell it's something, even if you say it's nothing)_

"Please just tell me so I can stop asking Ally, please!"

"..."

"Ally, come on, I've known you since forever, I know when something's up!"

"..."

"We're bestfriends. You should tell me."

"..."

"_Aaaaaallllllllyyyyyy!_"

"Alright, alright!" Ally said, getting tired of his whinging. The thing was, that it wasn't alright, she really couldn't tell him what she thinking about, because it was about him. Specifically, her and him going out, like everyone had assumed and/or advised them to.

"Well?"

"I just... these last couple of weeks..."

"Yes?"

"The whole going-out drama. It's been bugging me."

"Why what's up?" He said leaning on the outside of the counter. Ally was tempted to fiddle with the cash register as a distraction, but thought better of it.

"Just how you seem so... cool about it."

"Shouldn't I be?"

"I thought you'd be more ticked off... a girlfriend would mean less fans, possibly?" She couldn't believe she was saying this, but it was out now, getting easier to talk about the more she spoke.

"Like I care about that. Why, are you bothered by it?" She knows him well enough to know now, that furrowed eye-brows and a hand _oh so casually _pulling at the hair at the back of his neck _(pretending to be scratching) _was a sign of nerves.

"I'm not _bothered_ by it, per se."

"What does that mean?"

"What do you want it to mean?"

It was just questions flying back and forth, either one too scared to say something that could potentially ruin everything.

"I don't know." It's the best he can do right now.

Ally doesn't know what makes her so angry about that answer. Hasn't he, _Austin Moon_, been the one playing the cool card, even going so far as to say more than once they might be a good couple? He's been fine about all of it, agreeing, leaving Ally to fret and wonder over what the hell he's talking about.

One thing Ally knows: anger causes courage.

"Well this is what I want it to mean." Ally says, smoothly hopping up and over the counter, flipping him against it and standing on her tip-toes in one swift motion. (_She's been waiting to show off about that. She's been practising for a while now. Ha Austin, you're not the only one that can hop over counters, she thinks.) _Looking him in the eye, he's smiling a little, but then that smile is covered as Ally kisses him.

He kisses back instantly, only hesitating a little bit. _He wants to_ and she started it, so why blame him?

Her lips are soft and warm against his, and it's everything he imagined _but better_. Her warmth against him is something he couldn't have dreamt of until now, because now it's real. Ally's arms snake around his neck, tugging gently at the hair there, just like he does when he's nervous. Austin smiles into the kiss and takes her by the waist in a firm grip.

He kisses her a little harder, and she responds, enjoying the feeling.

It gets better when she runs out of air, the light headed feeling adding to it, but she knows it's time stop.

For now.

She pulls apart a little dazed, and is glad to notice the glazed look his eyes have adopted too. His cheeks are flushed pink, and his nose is too, so Ally gently leans up and kisses it. He kisses her forehead when she's not looking at him at eye level.

"Well, I was right."

She looks up at him with a questioning gaze.

"We _do_ make a good couple."

"We wouldn't be one if I hadn't of kissed you."

"I would've manned up and done it sometime."

"When?"

"Soon."

"Yeah, right."

"Yeah! Right!"

"Okay Austin."

She rests her hand on his chest and they can feel each other's laughter. He breaks the silence.

"Can we be kissing again now?"

"Oh so you w_ere_ enjoying it?"

"Of course I was. I've never kissed anyone like _that_ before."

"Like what?"

"So intimate."

"Aw! But I won't kiss you yet."

"Why not?"

"You have to ask me out first." There's a little smirk on her face, almost masked by her shyness but not quite. The flush to her cheeks doesn't enhance, and he realises she's not embarrassed one bit.

"I can do one better than that." He says with his lopsided grin, "Ally, will you be my girlfriend?"

"Of course!" She squeals and kisses him again. It's a little messy and awkward because she's laughing, but he doesn't mind, it still feels good.

They're interrupted by Dez, of all people.

"Aw! It's happened." He calls to Trish, who's just coming in the door, "It's happened woman!"

"Wow, it really has. Nice noticing Dez." They high five as Ally and Austin watch them. Ally's turned around in his embrace, allowing him to hug her from behind. Trish observes how cute they look together.

"Has anyone ever told you you're a good couple?"

All she gets in response are two wide grins.

* * *

**A/N:** Well, that took long enough to write! Ah well, it was worth it, I really enjoyed writing it, I hope you liked reading it. I like to make my oneshots a bit longer because sometimes 1wk just isn't enough, even though it can be just right... :')

**Please review, it would mean a lot :-)  
**

- Sophie.


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